Online exhibition on mothers of Punjab launched
A mother bringing up a family and also earning the family bread makes for a heartening tale of courage and will; London-based non-profit organization Khalsa Aid puts the life of seven of these inspiring women from the state at #iamPunjab
Motherly love is almost a cliché, but few realise that besides the love and the affection, there needs to be strength, courage and resolve of equal order, especially if the breadwinner in the family has been lost to the vicissitudes of time.
To take the stories of such inspirational mothers from Punjab to a global audience, London based non-profit aid and relief organisation, Khalsa Aid, unveiled an online exhibition on International Women’s Day. The exhibition can be accessed at #iamPunjab.
The organisation will release one image per day of a mother, whose life story they think deserves to be told. The unveiling will be done between 4pm and 5pm. Along with the picture, the mother’s profile will also be uploaded. The exhibition will be on for the next seven days till March 15, which is celebrated as the Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom.
“#iamPunjab is an online exhibition on mothers across Punjab who lost breadwinners of the family. Khalsa Aid has been supporting these brave mothers and families for over five years. To mark the International Women’s Day, we wanted to provide a glimpse of their trials and tribulations. More importantly we wanted to showcase their courage in overcoming all odds. These are the mothers of Punjab. These are all women with tragic stories yet remarkable personalities,” said Ravinder Singh, CEO and founder of Khalsa Aid.
The first portrait unveiled was of Parkash Kaur. Parkash, a resident of Gurdaspur, lost her four sons and husband during the turbulent years that followed the events of 1984 and became the figurehead and sole breadwinner of her family.
“For a mother who has lost her children, the night never ends and nor does the day. I am extremely grateful to Khalsa Aid for supporting me in my time of need,” said Prakash Kaur.
Khalsa Aid also plans to exhibit the seven images to be shown this week, along with eight more at the City Hall in Central London on April 11, which happens to be part of the mayor of London’s Baisakhi celebrations.
Why social media?
“We decided to use social media as the main platform for this exhibition because of its wider appeal and reach. Instead of a few hundred people experiencing the art pieces in a gallery, millions of people across the globe can instantly connect with the pain, courage and resolve captured in all of the images,” said Khalsa Aid trustee Indy Hothi.
“The countdown to Mother’s Day in the UK (March 15th) also means that social media adds a degree of interactivity to the exhibition.”
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
· Khalsa Aid will release one image per day of a mother, whose life story they think deserves to be told. The unveiling will be done between 4pm and 5pm.
· Along with the picture, the mother’s profile will also be uploaded
· The exhibition will be on for the next seven days till March 15, which is celebrated as the Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom.